Department for Culture, Media and Sport

BBC Update

Lucy Frazer: The Government is today announcing the level of the licence fee for 2024-25 and the launch of a review of the BBC’s funding model.As agreed with the BBC in the 2022 licence fee settlement, following a two-year freeze the licence fee is due to rise in line with inflation from April 2024. The Government will use the annual rate of CPI in September 2023 to calculate this uplift. This is the same way the Government calculates inflation-linked increases to state pensions and benefits.This decision means next year’s licence fee increase will be kept as low as possible. In April, the licence fee will rise by 6.7%, to £169.50 annually. This will limit the increase to £10.50 over the year, or 88p per month, rather than a rise of £14.50 which would have happened under the previous CPI measure of an average of the 12 months to September.The Government engaged with both the BBC and S4C to understand the impacts on the finances of both broadcasters.The Government recognises that the licence fee model faces challenges in an increasingly competitive media landscape. The Government is therefore launching a review of the BBC’s funding model. The review will look at how we can ensure the funding model is fair to licence fee-payers, sustainable for the long term, and supports the BBC’s vital role in growing our creative industries.The review will be led by DCMS, and supported by an expert panel.The findings of the review will support the Government to make an informed choice on whether to consult the public on moving to alternative funding models. This would take place as part of the Charter Review process, where any final decision on reforming the BBC’s funding model would be taken.The Terms of Reference for the review will be published on gov.uk.

SLAPPs Taskforce Workplan

Sir John Whittingdale: We are pleased to inform the House that the Taskforce dedicated to tackling Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), which target journalists, is today publishing a plan of its future activity.SLAPPs are considered an abuse of the legal process, where the primary objective is to harass, intimidate and financially and psychologically exhaust one’s opponent via improper and costly legal intervention. Launched by HM Government, the Taskforce is developing a non-legislative response to SLAPPs targeting journalists, which deter important public- interest reporting.The Taskforce has agreed to undertake an ambitious plan of activity which will address SLAPPs across four separate workstreams: understanding and monitoring the prevalence and nature of SLAPPs; guidance for journalists; legal services ethics; and awareness- raising. Outputs will be delivered by the Government, civil society groups, representative bodies for journalists and legal services stakeholders. These include factual guidance to provide clarity over journalists’ legal rights when faced with SLAPPs tactics, a forum for cross-regulator agreement on conduct for legal professionals dealing with SLAPPs, and an industry-facing conference to promote the Taskforce’s work. An online data-gathering tool which will be launched by the National Union of Journalists to boost the evidence base about safety issues affecting journalists will also be designed to enable journalists to self-report SLAPPs confidentially.The Taskforce sits within the framework of the National Committee for the Safety of Journalists, which was set up to ensure that journalists operating in the UK can do so free from violence or threats, and forms part of the refreshed National Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists published in October this year. It will report to the Committee regularly on its progress to ensure activity is aligned to the wider safety of journalists.The work of the SLAPPs Taskforce will be key in driving forward the Government’s commitment to ensuring an environment in which media freedom can flourish and journalists are safe to investigate and publish stories in the public interest, holding power to account and carrying out their vital role in upholding democracy.

Home Office

Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules

James Cleverly: I am today laying before the House a Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules. Changes to Visitor Rules As set out in the Spring Budget 2023, we are amending the list of permitted business activities that can be undertaken by individuals on a UK Visit visa, including by: (a) removing the restriction on visitors working directly with clients in an intra-corporate context (subject to the activity being incidental to their employment abroad and to the delivery of a wider project by the UK branch of their overseas employer), (b) naming remote work as a permitted activity, providing this is not the primary purpose of the visit, (c) expanding the list of unpaid work activities that legal professionals can undertake in the UK, allowing scientists to conduct research in the UK as part of their visit, and (d) allowing pilots and cabin crew members to travel to the UK as part of a Civil Aviation Authority approved wet leasing agreement. We are also reforming Permitted Paid Engagements (PPE), by including speaking at conferences in the list of permitted engagements. By incorporating the provisions of the route into the Standard visitor route, to enable easier switching between PPE activities and the other permitted business activities, and to enable easier travel across the UK border for nationalities eligible to use e-passport gates. Introduction of new Appendix Statelessness We are making changes to the partner and child rules on the statelessness route. A partner or child will no longer be eligible to apply for permission as a dependent under the stateless route but will instead need to meet the requirements to come to, or stay in, the UK as a partner or child of a stateless person under the family rules in Appendix FM. A person who already has permission as a partner or child of a stateless person under the current Stateless Immigration Rules in Part 14 will be able to continue to extend their permission or stay in the UK under those provisions. Changes to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) The EUSS enables EU, other European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss citizens living in the UK by the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020, and their family members, to obtain the immigration status they need to continue living in the UK. We are making two particular changes where the EUSS is concerned. First, to reinforce the Government’s approach to tackling illegal migration, we will prevent a valid application to the EUSS as a joining family member being made by an irregular arrival to the UK (which will include small boat arrivals) as well as by an illegal entrant. Second, consistent with the temporary protection of rights conferred on them by the Citizens’ Rights Agreements for three months from their arrival in the UK, we will require a person in the UK as a visitor to make any application to the EUSS as a joining family member within three months of their arrival (subject to reasonable grounds for any delay in applying). Changes to travel document requirements for school groups visiting the UK from France We are making changes to allow children aged 18 and under, studying at a school in France, to visit the UK on an organised educational trip without the usual passport or visit visa requirements. EU, other EEA and Swiss national children will be able to travel on their national identity card. Visa national children will still be required to travel on their passport but will not have to obtain a visit visa. Introduction of new Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse We are introducing an out of country settlement route for victims of transnational marriage abandonment. Changes to the Youth Mobility Scheme The Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) implements the international commitments that have been made to provide cultural exchange programmes for young people. We are adding Uruguay to the list of countries and territories participating in the YMS and making changes to reflect that the UK’s existing reciprocal, bilateral arrangements with Japan and the Republic of Korea have been enhanced.  The changes to the Immigration Rules are being laid on 7 December 2023 and will come into effect on various dates between 7 December 2023 and 31 January 2024.

Department of Health and Social Care

Publication of the Factual Summary of Responses to the Consultation on Coronial Investigations of Term Stillbirths

Maria Caulfield: I wish to update the House on the responses received to a joint consultation by the Department of Health and Social Care and Ministry of Justice on coronial investigations of stillbirths in England and Wales.Over the years, there have been calls from bereaved families, charities and others for a more transparent and independent process for determining the causes of, and learning from, stillbirths. Some of those calling for change identified coronial investigations as the way to deliver an improved process.Under current legislation, coroners cannot investigate a death when it is known that the baby was not born alive. If there is doubt whether a baby was born alive, a coroner can investigate (which could include holding an inquest) but must halt that investigation if they determine that the baby was stillborn.The consultation sought views on proposals on whether, and if so how, coronial investigations of stillbirth cases could take place in England and Wales.The objectives of the proposals, which were co-developed with stakeholders, were to:bring greater independence to the way stillbirths are investigated;ensure transparency and enhance the involvement of bereaved parents in stillbirth investigation processes, including in the development of recommendations aimed at improving maternity care; andeffectively disseminate learning from investigations across the health system to help prevent future avoidable stillbirths.334 people responded to the consultation and 63 people attended our stakeholder workshops. I and my ministerial colleague at the Ministry of Justice are extremely grateful to those who responded and shared their views, particularly families who have experienced stillbirth and shared their personal and often tragic experiences. This was so important to us in considering our response.Work to respond to the consultation was paused during the pandemic. Today I am sharing a factual summary of the consultation findings. The findings of the consultation were complex: there were mixed views about proposals that coroners should have a role in stillbirth investigations and where they were supportive, about the way in which coronial investigations would be carried out.In addition, the landscape of maternity investigations has changed significantly since the consultation. The Maternity and Newborn Safety Investigations programme is now in place, which aims to provide independent, standardised and family focused investigations for families; to provide learning to the health system via reports at local, regional and national level; analyse data to identify key trends and provide system wide learning; be a system expert in standards for maternity investigations; and collaborate with system partners to escalate safety concerns. Additionally, the Perinatal Mortality Review Tool supports standardised perinatal mortality reviews across NHS maternity and neonatal units in the UK. Going forward, my officials are working to improve the information available to families regarding these investigative processes that may be taken forward following a stillbirth. I wish to reassure the house that a further statement will be issued in due course, which sets out whether, and if so, how the Government intends to take action.The factual summary of consultation responses is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/coronial-investigations-of-stillbirths. The document has also been placed in the Library of both Houses.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Response to the Independent Review of FCDO Funded Scholarship Schemes

Mr Andrew Mitchell: I wish to inform the House that the Government has today published the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office response to the independent Public Body Review of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) and the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission (MACC), and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) internal Chevening Scholarship Programme.The Government launched a review of FCDO’s Arm's Length Bodies (ALBs) scholarships schemes and Chevening Scholarships in 2022. The review was independent and formed part of the Public Bodies Review Programme which delivers against the commitments made in the Declaration on Government Reform to increase the effectiveness of organisations to ensure they are set up in the best possible way to deliver.The review sets out clear and comprehensive recommendations which will enable us to undertake a programme of reform to better support the scholarships schemes. This will ensure the three schemes continue to perform at a high level, with closer alignment to each other to ensure a mutually supportive portfolio of scholarship schemes that are greater than the sum of their parts, and which support the FCDO’s international diplomacy and development objectives.We have published a response to the review, which sets out our response to each of the recommendations. The Government accepts all the review’s recommendations, noting that some require additional budget, and the feasibility of new funding will be explored in the next Spending Review. The government also accepts that further detailed collaborative work with the ALBs and Chevening will be required before the implementation of all recommendations is completed.The FCDO-funded scholarship schemes are integral to supporting the Department’s international diplomacy and development objectives, and we are grateful to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission and the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission for engaging positively with this review.We would also like to extend our thanks to the Lead Reviewer and the review team for dedicating much time and consideration to this review, and for producing clear and useful recommendations which will enable us to build on the important work of the FCDO-funded scholarship schemes.The publication will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Department for Transport

Response to the Union Connectivity Review

Mr Mark Harper: Today, I am pleased to announce the UK Government’s response to Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill’s independent Union Connectivity Review.The UK Government has a responsibility to people, businesses and communities throughout the whole of the United Kingdom. Our central mission is to deliver sustainable growth and spread opportunity right across the country. Ensuring that we have an accessible, well-connected transport system provides the foundation for achieving this goal and will support every part of the UK in reaching its potential. Our announcement today builds on our £36bn Network North plan, helping to strengthen connections right across the UK.Devolution has effectively supported the delivery of many place-specific transport priorities that meet the needs of local communities. It has empowered leaders to deliver solutions for their areas and brought decisions closer to the people affected by them. But it is only the UK Government that can take an overview of our entire strategic transport network. To support this, the UK Government asked Lord Hendy to lead the independent Union Connectivity Review, the first UK-wide multi-modal strategic transport assessment in a generation.The Union Connectivity Review, and our response to it, takes a strategic approach to transport. It recognises that people’s daily journeys - for work, business, leisure, education and health reasons – and the daily movement of goods regularly cross administrative boundaries. And it recognises that, as the Government for the whole of the UK, we should take a strategic approach to make those journeys work for people and business and to strengthen vital transport connections across our country. On behalf of the UK Government, I would like to thank Lord Hendy and his expert panel for their excellent work and thank the many organisations and individuals who contributed to it.Many of Lord Hendy’s recommendations relate to issues where responsibility for transport is devolved. Where this is the case, we have worked, and will continue to work, collaboratively with the devolved administrations. While Lord Hendy’s recommendations do not bring forward detailed infrastructure proposals, they do point to further work to identify where, when and what to invest in to improve connectivity and unlock growth opportunities.In response to the Union Connectivity Review’s recommendations, we have developed a programme of priority actions to drive forward important work identified by Lord Hendy. We have prioritised actions where we can quickly provide support for promising UK connectivity projects, strengthen working relationships with the devolved administrations and establish the building blocks for future UK connectivity schemes. Any future investment decisions will be subject to business case.As well as the billions being redirected from HS2 to invest in transport infrastructure and drive better connectivity, and millions of pounds of funding for reserved transport policy areas, we are designating up to £23m of funding support for feasibility studies in devolved areas of transport responsibility in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. This work will put us, devolved administrations and local and regional partners in a strong position to assess which schemes could deliver the greatest benefits to people and businesses across the UK, informing future investment decisions about which could be progressed in the long-term.Our priority actions, which include but move beyond our Network North commitments, are:For Wales connectivity:Providing an unprecedented £1bn investment to fund the electrification of the North Wales Main Line, bringing parts of North Wales within an hour of Manchester and bringing more punctual and reliable journeys on the 105-mile route between Crewe and Holyhead, with connections to Liverpool, Warrington, and Wrexham.Delivering the Midlands Rail Hub in full, with investment increased to £1.75bn to improve journey times, increase capacity and boost frequency of services, benefitting those travelling between Cardiff and Birmingham.Providing £2.7m to Transport for Wales to develop options for upgrades to the South Wales Main Line, including new stations between Cardiff and the Severn Tunnel and increased services between Bristol and West Wales.Providing £700k to Transport for Wales to study options for upgrading Shotton and Chester stations and increasing capacity on the North Wales Main Line.For Scotland connectivity:Committing funding to deliver targeted improvements to the A75 between Gretna and Stranraer, starting with providing £8m to the Scottish Government to support their business case development.Committing funding for dualling the A1 between Morpeth and Ellingham, helping to improve an important route between England and Scotland.Funding Network Rail to study options for enhancements to improve capacity and journey times on services between England and Scotland.For Northern Ireland connectivity:Providing £3.3m to Translink to deliver a study on the cost, feasibility and value for money of electrification of the railway in Northern Ireland from Belfast to border.Funding Translink to deliver a £700k feasibility study on reopening the Antrim-Lisburn railway line, with an additional stop at Belfast International Airport.Providing £800k to Translink to deliver a feasibility study on reinstating the Portadown to Armagh railway line.Across the UK:Reforming domestic aviation policy by changing Public Service Obligation (PSO) policy to allow PSOs to operate to and from different regions of the UK, rather than just to and from London as is currently the case.Reinforcing our commitment to work in partnership with the devolved administrations through a newly relaunched Inter-Ministerial Group for Transport.As outlined in Network North, some of these projects will be subject to business case approvals.This programme will not be carried out in isolation. It will be supported by significant long-term work across the UK to deliver fundamental transport connectivity improvements. It will build on other UK Government initiatives, such as Network North, the Levelling-Up Fund and Investment Zones, that support sustainable growth, increased prosperity and improved productivity across the UK. It will build on our approach to planning that considers land use and transport infrastructure together to deliver the widest possible benefits and unlock greater opportunity. And it will build on the UK Government’s commitment to work constructively and collaboratively with the devolved administrations across the UK to deliver on our shared ambitions.Wherever you live, a better-connected UK will bring you closer to social and economic opportunities. That is why the UK Government is determined that our transport infrastructure supports levelling up, brings communities across the UK even closer together and facilitates economic growth by increasing access to skilled labour and opportunities. Our response to the Union Connectivity Review marks an important step in increasing UK connectivity, supporting growth and delivering the strong, reliable transport connections people depend on every day.